Biography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisMore than just a biography about the band members, this book offers an incredible compilation of stories, insights and reflections by the band members themselves and the people who knew them. Learn about the origin of the rock and roll band from their unique sound and meteoric rise in popularity to the untimely death of their drummer, infighting and accusations of plagiarism. This amazingly detailed peek into the lives of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham features an oral history of the impetus and development of each album released along with in-depth interviews with the band members and their manager as well as interviews with fans, friends, and insiders on what the band and the music meant to them. Full of photos of the iconic band on the road, you can read about and feel the band''s energy and transformation into the men they are today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInstant New York Times bestsellerThe long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the #1New York TimesbestsellingOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino.In addition to being among the most celebrated of contemporary filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino is possibly the most joyously infectious movie lover alive.For years he has touted in interviews his eventual turn to writing books about films.Now, with Cinema Speculation, the time has come, and the results are everything his passionate fans?and all movie lovers?could have hoped for.Organized around key American films from the 1970s, all of which he first saw as a young moviegoer at the time,this book is as intellectually rigorous and insightful as it is rollicking and entertaining.At once film criticism, film theory, a feat of reporting, and wonderful personal history, it is all written in the singular voice recognizable immediately as QT?s and with the rare perspective about cinema possible only from one of the greatest practitioners of the artform ever.

Read more less

Book SynopsisKinky Friedman has always maintained his Kinkster persona and hidden Richard Friedman from the public eye. Using one-liners, humor, and occasional rudeness, he follows the advice of his friend Bob Dylan to keep an aura of mystery. Author Mary Lou Sullivan spent many contentious days and nights at Kinky''s Texas Hill Country ranch before he trusted her enough to open up and speak candidly.Best known as an irreverent cigar-chomping Jewish country-and-western singer, turned author, turned politician, Kinky has dined on monkey brains in the jungles of Borneo, supped with presidents, and vacationed with Bob Dylan in the tiny fishing village of Yelapa, Mexico.A satirist who loves pushing the envelope, he''s been attacked onstage, received bomb threats, and put on the only show in Austin City Limits'' history deemed too offensive to air.From the 1970s music scene in L.A. with Tom Waits and the Band, to political platforms advocating legalized marijuana, to friendships Trade Review“Sullivan chronicles the branding of the Kinkster with vivid detail, while giving his music the serious consideration it deserves ... The author's greatest achievement remains peeling back the provocateur's veneer and revealing the exceptionally smart, intimately caring, and deeply committed man behind the often outrageous performer without sparing critique.”—Doug Freeman, The Austin Chronicle

Read more less

Book SynopsisWatch Blake Shelton''s career begin and flourish from the viewpoint of a lifelong friend who moved the award-winning musician to Nashville when he was seventeen and has been with him every step of the way. In Blake Shelton: Happy Anywhere, Carol Cash Large takes you backstage for personal and unique insight into the life of the young singer. Large starts at the beginning, when Shelton worked with producer Bobby Braddock, recorded his #1 song Austin, and performed on the Grand Ole Opry. She shares his victories and the rise in fame when he started garnering nominations at award shows and then recorded seventeen consecutive #1 songs. Large''s favorite stories come from Shelton''s time as host and entertainment on Saturday Night Live and his induction into the Grand Ole Opry. But, she says, landing a gig as a coach of the NBC hit, The Voice, had the biggest impact on his career. Along with his music career success and fame, Large delves into his personal life, showing his

Read more less

Book SynopsisPleasure refers to the freedom to pursue a desire, deliberately sought in order to satisfy the self. Putting pleasure first is liberating. During their extraordinary lives, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley, Yolande DuBois, and Memphis Minnie enjoyed pleasure as they gave pleasure to both those in their lives and to the public at large. They were Black women who, despite their public profiles, whether through Black society or through the world of entertainment, discovered ways to enjoy pleasure.They left home, undertook careers they loved, and did what they wanted, despite perhaps not meeting the standards for respectability in the interwar era. See Me Naked looks at these women as representative of other Black women of the time, who were watched, criticized, and judged by their families, peers, and, in some cases, the government, yet still managed to enjoy themselves. Among the voyeurs of Black women was Langston Hughes, whose novel Not Without Laughter was clearly a work of fiction inspired by women he observed in public and knew personally, including Black clubwomen, blues performers, and his mother. How did these complicated women wrest loose from the voyeurs to define their own sense of themselves? At very young ages, they found and celebrated aspects of themselves. Using examples from these women’s lives, Green explores their challenges and achievements.Trade Review"Whatever you think you know about the project of 'respectability politics' in Black life, letters and history will be upended in See Me Naked. A bold feminist examination of pleasure in the Interwar Period through some of our most enduring feminist legends – Ma Rainey and Moms Mabley among others – Green’s astute and captivating assessment here will open doors for new imaginings of blackness." -- Sharon P. Holland * author of The Erotic Life of Racism *"In her careful engagement with Nina Yolande Du Bois Williams, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley and Memphis Minnie, Tara T. Green’s See Me Naked offers a groundbreaking exploration of black women’s pursuit of pleasure during the interwar years. Her careful exploration of pleasure’s fundamental relationship to black women’s self-making offers a necessary intervention into the fields of black studies, feminist studies, and sexuality studies." -- Jennifer C. Nash * author of Birthing Black Mothers *Tara T. Green in The Black Writer's Studio * The Black Writer's Studio *"Whatever you think you know about the project of 'respectability politics' in Black life, letters and history will be upended in See Me Naked. A bold feminist examination of pleasure in the Interwar Period through some of our most enduring feminist legends – Ma Rainey and Moms Mabley among others – Green’s astute and captivating assessment here will open doors for new imaginings of blackness." -- Sharon P. Holland * author of The Erotic Life of Racism *"In her careful engagement with Nina Yolande Du Bois Williams, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley and Memphis Minnie, Tara T. Green’s See Me Naked offers a groundbreaking exploration of black women’s pursuit of pleasure during the interwar years. Her careful exploration of pleasure’s fundamental relationship to black women’s self-making offers a necessary intervention into the fields of black studies, feminist studies, and sexuality studies." -- Jennifer C. Nash * author of Birthing Black Mothers *Tara T. Green in The Black Writer's Studio * The Black Writer's Studio *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Pleasure Is All Mine 1. Finding Yolande Du Bois’s Pleasure 2. Lena Horne and Respectable Pleasure 3. Moms Mabley and the Art of Pleasure 4. Memphis Minnie and Songs of Pleasure 5. Pleasurable Resistance in Langston Hughes’s Not Without Laughter Conclusion: Black Feminist Musings from Nature, The Context of Pleasure in 2020 Acknowledgements Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe life and works of composer and cellist Luigi Boccherini are explored in this comprehensive new biography. He was highly regarded throughout Europe during his lifetime and the author of around 500 compositions, including symphonies, chamber music and vocal works as well as sonatas and concertos for the cello.Trade ReviewBoccherini, after being ignored for so long, is starting to re-engage our attention again and Kaiserkern’s book will go a long way to giving us the background we need. Her book sets the stage and develops a thorough background of Boccherini and his time. Her analysis of the music is clear and thoughtful and gives a real insight into Boccherini’s innovations and virtuosic touch. - Maureen Buja, Interlude.hkTable of ContentsForeword by Steven Isserlis; Publisher's Note; 1. Finale; 2. The Cello and Music for the Cello; 3. Travels; 4. Duets, Trios, Quartets; 5. In the Service of the Spanish Infante Luis de Borbon; 6. String Quintets and String Sextets 7. Melting Pot Madrid; 8. Chamber Composer to Frederick William II of Prussia; 9. Symphonies; 10. The Final Years; 11. Vocal Works; 12. Boccherini's Letters; 13. Boccherini's Legacy; 14. Boccherini's Reputation down the Years; About the Author; About the Translator; Chronology; List of Works; Bibliography; Index of Names and Places; Acknowledgements

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn his short life, Parker was one of the most influential musicians in jazz, and together with Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, he was the main architect of the modern jazz revolution of the 1940s known as bebop. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, and with a tangled private life, Parker died young, and a legend grew up about his tragic genius. "Chasin' the Bird" is a completely revised and expanded edition of the short biography of Charlie Parker by Brian Priestley, first published in 1984, which quickly established itself as the most succinct, accurate and readable book on Parker. This edition, which is twice the length of the original, incorporates material which has come to light since the first edition was published. It also provides an expanded discussion of performances and recordings, with a complete discography, notes and bibliography.Trade Review'Brian Priestley is one of the most accomplished jazz historians, critics, and biographers, and Chasin' the Bird is an indispensable gem--an ideal introduction to a major figure in 20th century music and an inventive interpretation of Parker's life and art that will also engage veteran jazz lovers. The comprehensive discography is a major bonus, making this a handbook every Bird chaser will relish.' Gary Giddins, author of Weather Bird and (forthcoming) Tain't What You Do Brian Priestley has not just chased but captured the elusive Bird, illuminating the turbulent life and marvelous music with human and musical insight.' Dan Morgenstern, Director, Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies, author, Living with Jazz 'Brian Priestley's Chasin' the Bird: The Life and Legacy of Charlie Parker serves as the best overall book on Parker since Gary Giddens' photo-driven Celebrating Bird of 1987.' New York SunTable of ContentsChapter One - Birdland Chapter Two - Body And Soul Chapter Three - The Jumpin' Blues Chapter Four - Now's The Time Chapter Five - Parker's Mood Chapter Six - Celebrity Chapter Seven - I Remember You Chapter Eight - The Song is You Chapter Nine - Confirmation Discography

Read more less

Book Synopsis Experience music history with this memoir by one of the last of the genuine old school Blues and R&B legends, the Grammy-winning dynamic showman Bobby Rush.This memoir charts the extraordinary rise to fame of living blues legend, Bobby Rush. Born Emmett Ellis, Jr. in Homer, Louisiana, he adopted the stage name Bobby Rush out of respect for his father, a pastor. As a teenager, Rush acquired his first real guitar and started playing in juke joints in Little Rock, Arkansas, donning a fake mustache to trick club owners into thinking he was old enough to gain entry. He led his first band in Arkansas between Little Rock and Pine Bluff in the 1950s. It was there he first had Elmore James play in his band. Rush later relocated to Chicago to pursue his musical career and started to work with Earl Hooker, Luther Allison, and Freddie King, and sat in with many of his musical heroes, such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. Rush eventually began leading his own band in the 1960s, crafting his own distinct style of funky blues, and recording a succession of singles for various labels. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Rush finally scored a hit with 'Chicken Heads.' More recordings followed, including an album which went on to be listed in the Top 10 blues albums of the 1970s by Rolling Stone and a handful of regional jukebox favorites including 'Sue' and 'I Ain't Studdin' Ya.'And Rush's career shows no signs of slowing down now. The man once beloved for performing in local jukejoints is now headlining major music/blues festivals, clubs, and theaters across the U.S. and as far as Japan and Australia. At age eighty-six, he is still on the road for over 200 days a year. His lifelong hectic tour schedule has earned him the affectionate title 'King of the Chitlin' Circuit,' from Rolling Stone. In 2007, he earned the distinction of being the first blues artist to play at the Great Wall of China. His renowned stage act features his famed shake dancers, who personify his funky blues and his ribald sense of humor. He was featured in Martin Scorcese's The Blues docuseries on PBS, a documentary film called Take Me to the River, performed with Dan Aykroyd on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and most recently had a cameo in the Golden Globe nominated Netflix film, Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy. He was recently given the highest Blues Music Award honor of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. His songs have also been featured in TV shows and films including HBO's Ballers and major motion pictures like Black Snake Moan, starring Samuel L. Jackson.Considered by many to be the greatest bluesman currently performing, this book will give readers unparalleled access into the man, the myth, the legend: Bobby Rush.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The only Lou Reed bio you need to read'' The Washington PostOne of Pitchfork''s ten best music books of 2023 A Kirkus Reviews best nonfiction book of 2023''A monumental work filled with first-person accounts of the master''s life and a dizzying array of never-before heard details'' Michael Imperioli, author of The Perfume Burned His Eyes The most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master, whose stature grows every year.Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed''s living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed''s life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde. We witness Reed''s complex partnerships with David Bowie, Andy Warhol, John Cale, and Laurie Anderson; track the deadpan wit, street-smart edge, and poetic flights that defined his craft as a singer and songwriter with the Velvet Underground and beyond; and explore the artistic ambition and gift for self-sabotage he took from his mentor Delmore Schwartz. As Hermes follows Reed from Lower East Side cold-water flats to the landmark status he later achieved, he also tells the story of New York City as a cultural capital. The first biographer to draw on the New York Public Library''s much-publicized Reed archive, Hermes employs the library collections, the release of previously unheard recordings, and a wealth of recent interviews to give us a new Lou Reed-a pioneer in living and writing about nonbinary sexuality and gender identity, a committed artist who pursued beauty and noise with equal fervor, and a turbulent and sometimes truculent man whose emotional imprint endures.Trade ReviewMeticulous yet vivid . . . Hermes expertly conjures the difference scenes Reed inhabited, placing him amid a rich cast of collaborators, friends and lovers * Guardian *A sympathetic portrait of a vastly talented but difficult man * Mojo *No matter how well you know the man and his music, there’s so much more to him that’s never been revealed until now. This book has the menace and allure of Reed’s finest work * Rolling Stone *Plenty has been written about Reed, but only Hermes, to my mind, has gotten Reed’s peculiar balance, of person and poseur, exactly right . . . This biography is as beautifully researched as it is written * The Washington Post *Fans will likely devour many of these stories and want to live inside of them * The Atlantic *

Read more less

Book Synopsis**WINNER of Presto Books'' Best Composer Biography**NINE WORKS OF BEETHOVEN, NINE WINDOWS INTO THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A MUSICAL GENIUS. ''We are doubly blessed that Beethoven should have led such an extraordinary life. Laura has combined the two - the genius of his music and the richness of his experiences - to shine a revealing light on our greatest composer'' John Humphrys_________________________Ludwig van Beethoven: to some, simply the greatest ever composer of Western classical music. Yet his life remains shrouded in myths.In Beethoven, Oxford professor Laura Tunbridge cuts through the noise. With each chapter focusing on a period of his life, piece of music and revealing theme - from family to friends, from heroism to liberty - she provides a rich insight into the man and the music. Revealing a wealth of never-before-seen material, this tour de force is a compelling, accessible portrayal of one of the world''s mTrade ReviewWe are doubly blessed that Beethoven should have led such an extraordinary life. Laura has combined the two - the genius of his music and the richness of his experiences - to shine a revealing light on our greatest composer -- John HumphrysElegant, enquiring and best read with the music turned up -- Julian Glover * Evening Standard *I found Tunbridge's book full of thought-provoking detail. Beethoven may be irredeemably pale and male, but, in this far-ranging discussion, his life and revolutionary music never feel stale -- Richard Morrison * The Times *A concise, subtly revealing survey... emphasizing the many-sidedness of the composer's spirit -- Alex Ross * New Yorker *This book is really wonderful! Nine works of Beethoven from different times in his life tell the story of that life - nine windows through which the man and his music are revealed with captivating clarity. We often speak about the 'universal spirit' of Beethoven but this book also brings to life how he fits into, and indeed creates, the new universe of cultural life which was born as the nineteenth century began. However many books on Beethoven you own, find the space for one more. This one -- Stephen Hough, pianist, composer, writerIn a year when everyone's looking for a new take on Beethoven, Laura Tunbridge has found nine. It makes great sense to look at the composer not thematically but in selected fragments, taking us nine small steps closer to his elusive totality. Fresh and engaging -- Norman Lebrecht, author of Genius and AnxietyI truly enjoyed reading it . . . Excellent . . . Laura Tunbridge upends the two-centuries-old image of Beethoven as a Promethean Titan heroically composing works of genius on his isolated rock of suffering. She convincingly argues that Beethoven's current iconic status must be understood within the context of his financial dealings and lifetime of often affable, sometimes acerbic, vibrant interchanges with family members, other composers, patrons, friends, musicians, singers, publishers, producers, and makers of musical instruments. Her detailed musical analyses of familiar as well as now rarely-performed works of Beethoven converse with one another as well as with other music of the era and with quotidian life in Vienna. This well researched and accessible book is a must read for all who seek to know more about the flesh and blood tangible Beethoven and the checkered history of his reception than about the Beethoven of unfathomable mythic immensity -- John Clubbe, author of Beethoven: The Relentless RevolutionaryMark that young man, he will make a name for himself in the world -- Mozart after hearing the young Beethoven playTunbridge has come up with the seemingly impossible: a new way of approaching Beethoven's life and music . . . and in every chapter a superb - and accessible to non-musicians - analysis of the music . . . profoundly original and hugely readable -- John Suchet, author Beethoven: The Man RevealedRemarkable . . . she captures the essence of his genius and character. I'll always want to keep it in easy reach -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the third ReichIlluminating . . . deftly gathers in the connections . . . In 288 pages, Tunbridge gives us detail enough to create a rounded portrait . . . She makes us marvel at Beethoven all the more -- Fiona Maddocks * Observer *You don't have to be a music scholar to enjoy this brilliant, and pleasingly concise book. But, if you don't love Beethoven, both the man and his music, when you start, you should by the time you finish -- Roger Alton * Daily Mail *Cuts straight to the action . . . Tunbridge balances the traditional narrative of universal, timeless genius, of innovation before its time, with a pragmatic, jobbing musician working hard to make a living -- Alexandra Coghlan * Spectator *Compact but also rewarding...a lot of information is packed into her musical portraits -- Richard Fairman * Financial Times *Laura Tunbridge finds something fresh to say about Beethoven by looking at his life through nine pieces... An entertaining way to celebrate the great man's 250th birthday -- James Marriott * Sunday Times Books of the Year *A twinkling elucidation of concert life in Vienna... fluent, concise and engaging -- Paul Griffith * Times Literary Supplement *Laura Tunbridge, in her new biographical study, has found an elegant way to give Beethovenian heroism and struggle its due, while slyly plucking at the reverse of Solomon's martial banner... Each chapter delivers its little shock of correction -- James Wood * London Review of Books *Laura Tunbridge offers a timely portrait of the composer in an elegant biography . . . refreshingly, [she] focuses on the man rather than the myth. Knowledgeable and humane, this is a deeply sympathetic portrait of a turbulent musical genius * Daily Mail *Tunbridge never stints on musical description, nor compromises her admirable rigour, while her prose is vivid, crystal-clear and never less than fascinating . . . a wonderfully rewarding book -- Jessica Duchen * Classical Music Magazine *

Read more less

Philip Norman is the author of classic rock biographies The Stones and Sir Elton and the highly-acclaimed memoir Babycham Night . He is also an award-winning novelist and writes regularly for the Sunday Times and the Daily Mail.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHugo Vickers' books include Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece; Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough; Cecil Beaton; Vivien Leigh; Loving Garbo; Royal Orders; The Private World of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; and The Kiss, which won the 1996 Stern Silver Pen for Non-fiction.Trade ReviewHugely ambitious... Vickers's triumph has been to weave the lives of three bisexual, egotistical monsters into an utterly enthralling narrative. -- Sheridan Morley * Sunday Times *This enticing book... is wonderful. * Observer *Immensely entertaining. -- Alexander Walker * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Louise Bourgeois talks, talks to herself, reviewing the scraps of her long life in all their disorder. This is the portrait, from memory, of a woman who devoted her life to her art, a life that was also the life of the century' writes J. Fremon.Trade Review'A truly wonderful book... The spider woman, the intellectuel, the rebel, the sly enchantress, and the good girl sing together in this exuberant, lithe text, beautifully translated by Cole Swensen.' - SIRI HUSTVEDT. `Now, Now Louison draws the reader in with all of the monstrous elegance of a spider, capturing us in the fine web of the creative process, and revealing, with biting wit and lyrical style, the ego, and sacrifices it takes to make monumental work.' - PRETI TANEJA, laureate of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2018 for 'We That Are Young'. `Jean Fremon is a wholly singular artist, a writer who lives in the radiant zone where poetry, philosophy and storytelling meet.' - PAUL AUSTER. 'Like all the most urgent poetry, it is "fragile and momentary, but momentarily invincible."' JOHN ASHBERY. 'As much a portrait of Bourgeois as it is of one who has outlasted another and is trying, in full knowledge of an impending failure, to reassemble a figure from the fragments. Perhaps life, this life, any life, is best preserved in its many bits, just as it was lived.' - FRIEZE. `Metamorphosing like Arachne, Bourgeois's imagined voice recounts how she wove the detritus of her memory (...) into an art of resistence (...) Now, Now, Louison (a reference to her childhood nickname) is a sensitive portrait of a woman whose struggle for self-definition came to drive her artistic practice.' Financial Times 'The life of Louise Bourgeois is rendered in ellipsis, quick brush strokes, and a mix of associations of ideas and of sensations waltzing with chronology. An original, sensitive text.' - ArtPress.Table of ContentsNow, Now, Louison, page 1. Jean Fremon, select bibliography, page 113

Read more less

Book SynopsisHailed as an “indispensable” guide (Forbes), How to Make It in the New Music Business returns in a significantly revised and expanded third editionTrade Review"There is a great divide between what the young musician thinks being a rock star is and what actually working as a musician entails. Ari fills in the blanks with his light-hearted yet blunt demeanour. He's the informed older brother most of us never got in this crazy, confusing industry." -- Andy Grammer, chart-topping singer/songwriter"It's a fun and informative read for every artist out there looking to live off their creative craft. The book does a great job of explaining the process of generating royalties and crowdfunding goals, all while delivering important info in a witty and wise tone that’s comprehensive but never condescending." -- Joshua Kanter - Rolling Stone"An indispensable and comprehensive manual on how to navigate the modern music business." -- Forbes"The best ‘how to’ book of its kind. As a working artist himself, Herstand knows of what he speaks.... The book crackles with the actual experience of being a working artist. Highly recommended." -- Music Connection

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnn Sumner is the Head of Cultural Engagement at the University of Leeds and former director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, the first director of the Birmingham Museums Trust and previous Head of Fine Arts at the National Museum Wales. She held curatorial positions at the National Portrait Gallery, the Whitworth Art Gallery and Dulwich Picture Gallery. Ann is the author or co-author of numerous titles, including Sisley in England and Wales (with Christopher Riopelle) and Colour and Light: Fifty Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Works at the National Museum of Wales.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBethany McIntyre is an art historian who studied at the University of Manchester and the Courtauld Institute of Fine Art. She has worked as a fine art curator for over twenty years, mainly at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. She has curated many exhibitions and researched widely with a particular specialism in watercolours, drawing and prints. She has authored and contributed to a number of catalogues and publications and has featured on several television programmes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of the life and work of one of photography’s most renowned and celebrated artists Throughout his more than sixty-year-long obsession with the medium, Josef Koudelka considers a remarkable range of photographic subjects—from his early theater work, to his seminal project on the Roma and his legendary coverage of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague, to the solitariness of exile and the often-devastating impact humans have had on the landscape. Josef Koudelka: Next embraces all of Koudelka’s projects and his evolution as an artist in the context of his life story and working process, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the mind and world of this notoriously private photographer. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews conducted over the course of almost a decade with Koudelka—as well as ongoing conversations with his friends, family, colleagues, and collaborators worldwide—this deftly told, richly illustrated biography offers an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of this notoriously private photographer. Writer, editor, and curator Melissa Harris has independently crafted a unique, in-depth, and revelatory personal history of both the man and his photography. Josef Koudelka: Next is richly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, including many biographical and behind-the-scenes images from Koudelka’s life, as well as iconic images from his work, from the 1950s to the present. The visual presentation is conceived in collaboration with Koudelka himself, as well as his longtime collaborator, Czech designer Aleš Najbrt. Copublished by Aperture and Magnum Foundation

Read more less

Book SynopsisA moving biography, told in vivid illustrations, this graphic novel features key moments in the life of Swedish artist and pioneer of abstract painting Hilma af Klint (1862–1944). Long-underrecognized, af Klint’s sensational rediscovery continues to take art audiences by storm. Artist Philipp Deines traces the story of now world-famous af Klint’s unique life and groundbreaking oeuvre through five chapters featuring her development as an artist, her family background, and her relationship to the spiritual. Highlighting how she came to her distinctive paintings, her spiritual quest, and the friends who helped her, this is a story of the strength it took af Klint to continue as an artist against all odds. Beautifully drawn, brightly colored, and well-researched, this graphic novel is a new way of looking at the story of an artist. Referencing Julia Voss’s new biography of af Klint, Deines presents an accessible and lively introduction for many ages. Biography, art history, and contemporary narrative style merge and complement each other in these magnificent visual worlds.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter winning 1974’s Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Waterloo,” ABBA catapulted to fame, capturing hearts across the globe with their melodic and ever-so-catchy pop songs. Formed in Stockholm, in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, ABBA became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide with classic hits such as “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man after Midnight),” “SOS,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” After their split in 1982, it seemed the ABBA story was all but over. But the 1990s ushered in a new wave of ABBA appreciation, and their music found favor again in modern popular culture. A host of ABBA-themed entertainment followed, including stage musical Mamma Mia! (1999), two box-office hit movies Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008), and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), and in 2013 the opening of ABBA The Museum, in Stockholm. In 2021, after a forty-year hiatus, the band released a new album Voyage, and announced an accompanying concert featuring their digital avatars, dubbed “ABBAtars.” Now celebrating their fiftieth year, ABBA are one of the great tales of pop music. From their humble beginnings in post-war Sweden to global superstardom, ABBA at 50 charts the remarkable story of this Swedish quartet. Beautifully illustrated with essential images, this book examines the group’s enduring legacy and much-loved musical repertoire of perfectly crafted pop. A must for all ABBA fans.Trade Review'Fabulous read. An illustrated celebration of ABBA, from childhood through to the Voyage album.' -- 5 star NetGalley review'Carl Magnus Palm has produced a superb tribute to one of the greatest bands who ever lived. I expect it will be on everyone's Christmas list this year and for many years to come.' -- 5 star NetGalley review'A delightful and we'll documented biography about one of the most influential band. It was a pleasure to read. So many memories...' -- 5 star NetGalley review

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe perfect subject for a graphic novel, Frida Kahlo's brief life was dramatic and romantic, tragic and painful. In this illustrated "biography", Vanna Vinci captures the spirit of Kahlo's world in boldly colored, minutely detailed illustrations. Blending facts and history with dreamlike and surreal sequences, Vinci creates an intimate portrayal of an artist who incorporated her life experiences into her art. Burning love and crushing loss, incredible joy and deep despair-these were all part of Kahlo's life and part of the paintings that are some of the most celebrated art of all time. Filled with images that populated Kahlo's work-monkeys and parrots, traditional clothing and lush gardens-Vinci imbues her text and drawings with an artist's perception and sensitivity. The result is an evocative, fittingly passionate tribute to a legendary figure.Trade Review"Prestel has just released Frida: The Story of Her Life, a graphic novel by Vanna Vinci that makes the perfect addition to the visual history of one of the most famous artists in the world. Here Vinci brings to life the beautiful and horrific moments of Kahlo’s life in a series of iconic scenes that integrate her country, her culture, and her passion into a great, tempestuous personality. The result is a portrait of the artist that complements the self-portraits that the world adores, giving us another look at the soul of a woman who continues to inspire and provoke." -Crave"This is an extraordinary way of presenting the story of the life of Frida Kahlo" -Her Campus

Read more less

Book SynopsisA New York Times bestselling author and successful businesswoman shares the important tips and tricks she used to build a business and maintain balance as a media personality, mogul, and mother.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGeorge Jacobs is generally considered ''the last of the Rat Pack'', a member of the exclusive club that has fascinated us for decades. He was Sinatra''s valet and confidant from 1953, when Ava Gardner had just left him, until the end of his marriage to Mia Farrow in 1968. Racy and revealing, this is a record of one of the longest and most outrageous mid-life crises ever as George helped Sinatra juggle his many mistresses - women like Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Grace Kelly and Peggy Lee. Hollywood stars and Mafia bosses, the Kennedys and European royalty also all had a major part to play in Frank''s glory years. But above all there was the Rat Pack who accepted George as one of their own. Dean Martin tried his comedy routines out on him and Peter Lawford did his drugs in front of him. MR S gives an insider''s view of the highs and lows of life with the Rat Pack - the spectacle, the sex, the unrecounted brawls, violence, tensions and hatreds among the revellers at the wildest movea

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE BOOK THAT BROUGHT DOWN RUPERT MURDOCH - AND A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERMeet the Murdochs and the disastrously dysfunctional family of Fox News. Until recently, they formed the most powerful media and political force in America. Now their empire is cracking up and crashing down. In his irresistible trilogy on the chaotic Trump presidency - Fire and Fury, Siege, and Landslide - the journalist Michael Wolff led readers deep into the twisted corridors of the White House. Drawing on years of unprecedented access to the Murdoch family and key players, he plunges us behind the scenes of another empire of influence, and the result is astonishing and unforgettable. Here is Rupert Murdoch, the ninety-two-year-old billionaire - concerned about his legacy, but more concerned about profits. Here are his contentious children, jockeying to take over when the old man is gone. Here is star anchor Tucker Carlson considering a run for the Trade ReviewA Wolff book never fails to be delicious, as well as sweepingly insightful, on the turmoil behind various thrones but he has a Murdochian instinct: when in doubt, go for the jugular. * John Gapper, The Financial Times *An entertaining read. Wolff is interested in power and personalities, and in The Fall he offers countless lacerating portraits. -- Justin Peters, The Washington PostAmusingly vicious and very well-timed... In Wolff's telling, Murdoch is a sort of hapless Frankenstein, abominating the monster he set loose on the world but unsure how to fight him. -- Michelle Goldberg, The New York TimesWolff, author of a spate of books skewering the dysfunctional Trump presidency, returns to his investigation of the Murdochs with a fast-paced, gossip-filled recounting of family drama rivalling Succession in intrigue and bitter strife and the travails and scandals that have roiled Fox News. . . . Wolff is merciless. -- Kirkus ReviewsGripping -- The New EuropeanIf it's true that Succession is based on the Murdoch family civil war, this astonishing exposé of life in King Rupert's court proves that truth remains stranger than fiction * Daily Telegraph, 50 Best Books of 2023 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisI don''t pretend to be an ordinary housewife. So said Elizabeth Taylor, and therein lay her secret.From her days as a youthful minx at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to her post-studio reign as America''s lustiest middle-aged movie queen, Taylor has defined the very essence of Hollywood stardom. Marching through the decades swathed in mink, discarding husbands nearly as frequently as she changed her diamond necklaces, Taylor dominated the headlines as no other star before or since. From America''s sweetheart to America''s homewrecker and then back again, she uncannily reflected (and at times predicted) the always shifting cultural zeitgeist. How to Be a Movie Star is a different kind of book about Elizabeth Taylor: an intimate look at a girl who grew up with fame, who learned early - and well - how to be famous.

Read more less

Book SynopsisToni Bentley, a dancer for George Balanchine, the greatest ballet maker of the 20th century, tells the story of Serenade, his iconic masterpiece, and what it was like to dance—and live—in his world at New York City Ballet during its legendary era.At age seventeen, Toni Bentley was chosen by Balanchine, then in his final years, to join the New York City Ballet. From both backstage and onstage, she carries us through the serendipitous history and physical intricacies and demands of Serenade: its dazzling opening, with seventeen women in a double-diamond pattern; its radical, even jazzy, use of the highly refined language that is ballet; its place in the choreographer’s own dramatic story of his immigration to the United States from Soviet Russia; its mystical—and literal—embodiment of the tradition of classical ballet in just thirty-three minutes.Bentley takes us inside the rarefied, intense, and thrilling world Balanchin

Read more less

Book Synopsis“One of hip-hop’s greatest MCs, unpacking his harrowing, remarkable journey in his own words, with enough insights for two lifetimes.”—Lin-Manuel Miranda, award-winning songwriter, producer, director, and creator of In the Heights and Hamilton From one of our generation’s most powerful artists and incisive storytellers comes a brilliantly crafted work about the art—and war—of becoming who we are.upcycle verbup·cy·cle ˈəp-ˌsī-kəl: to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item: to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value)Today Tariq Trotter—better known as Black Thought—is the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning co-founder of The Roots and one of the most exhilaratingly skillful and profound rappers our culture has ever produced.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMangalampalli Balamuralikrishna: child prodigy, dropout, poet, composer, versatile musician, polyglot, pioneer, musical genius. Veejay Sai's biography delves into his multifaceted life in music, blending archival research with personal interviews to capture the essence of the iconic maestro.

Read more less

Book Synopsis Kay Francis came of age in the Roaring Twenties and relished the era''s hedonistic pursuits. Her career as an actress was launched at the same time, and before her death in 1968, she had appeared on many theater stages, in more than 60 films, on radio, in USO tours, as a model, and on television. The tall, stylish actress had a husky voice and dark beauty that was striking on film. Despite her financial success, relaxed morals, and life as a socialite, the millionaire actress shunned luxuries such as limousines and sprawling estates popular among Hollywood elite. The actress, who insisted she wanted to be forgotten, left behind scrapbooks, boxes of memorabilia and detailed diaries. These rich resources help provide an exhaustive look at the life of one of Hollywood''s most intriguing early stars. Francis'' biography is the heart of this book, beginning with her family background and her upbringing by a vaudevillian actress mother. The story of her extensive career and never-ending romantic pursuits is peppered with comments from the media and her own diaries, and supplemented with ample photographs. A chronology gives dates of theater openings, film releases, marriages, television and radio appearances, births and deaths. A filmography includes complete cast and credit lists.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHis father was a magician; his mother trained white doves. Russ Whitebone grew up in the colourful world of the Big Top and the vaudeville stage. Showman is his story.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Riveting." * Manchester Guardian *"Take a cantankerous patriarch, throw in some very famous paintings and a family at war — and you have the ingredients of a gripping thriller. In Jacques Poitras's skillful hands they become something more: a wise meditation on a friendship that went very wrong." -- Elizabeth Renzetti * The Globe and Mail *"A journalistic tour-de-force." * BC Award for Canadian Non-Fiction *"Jacques Poitras has written a delicious story about the battle for Lord Beaverbrook's paintings. He has used a brilliant cast of characters — a mix of canny homegrown New Brunswickers and powerful British aristocrats — to pull together an important work of social and political history. Yes, this is a big, important book, but it's also a helluva lot of fun to read." -- Stevie Cameron

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Aloha Wanderwell must surely be the most remarkable woman adventurer to remain virtually unknown to history. This marvellous book sets the record straight, even as it powerfully evokes a distant era of travel when the survivors of the Great War set out to go anywhere but home." -- Wade Davis, author of The Lost Amazon and The Serpent and the Rainbow"Fink-Jensen and Eustace-Walden expertly parse Aloha’s journals, films, and photos as well as press coverage and previously classified government documents to bring readers along on the adventures of an audacious and fierce young woman of the early 20th century." * Atlantic Books Today *"Fink-Jensen and Eustace-Walden have compiled a remarkable biography about the exploits of a young Canadian woman and the charismatic man who guided her early career. In rescuing Aloha’s life from obscurity, they have reintroduced her as a significant and accomplished historical actor who was both a product and a purveyor of her times." -- Bonnie Reilly Schmidt * BC Bookworld *"She was a young adventurer, ready to take on the world without fear. Aloha Wanderwell, the book, is a fascinating look at her travels and her other exploits. She may have slipped from our collective memory for a few decades, but she is back." -- Dave Obee * Times Colonist *"Aloha Wanderwell recounts over a decade of non-stop adventure (along tens of thousands of kilometres of “barely existing roads” on several continents). All told, it’s an impressive feat." -- Brett Josef Grubisic * Toronto Star *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shadow of Doubt is a fast-paced account of one of the most sensational murder trials in recent history. Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon covered the case from start to finish and loads her story with new details and revealing anecdotes, briskly sketching how a family soap opera turned to tragedy. For Oland trial junkies, this is the big, satisfying hit they've been waiting for — by the only journalist who could have told the story so compellingly." -- Jacques Poitras"Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon's Shadow of Doubt provides a fly-on-the-wall viewpoint to one of Canada's most sensational murder cases. The reader is taken on a roller-coaster ride from the crime scene to the grieving family to the cops, the Crown, and the jury trial. It's an epic tale that both engages and teaches — Canada's criminal justice system with all its twists and turns is in full view right from crime to verdict." -- Kevin Donovan"In Shadow of Doubt, MacKinnon offers up the Oland family history, guiding readers through the many twists and turns of the story, from the murder to the trial itself. A thorough journalistic investigation." -- Andrew Armitage * Sun Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA look into the life and times of falconry expert and acclaimed artist Frank L. Beebe. Hancock House is proud to present the fine and sensitive works of one of Canada''s most famous bird artists, Frank Beebe. Here is the story of how young Frank took up drawing while in school, how one teacher reached his inner imagination and sparked his lifelong desire to write. Here are the beginnings of his interest in biology and the chapters in his life where he rode the rails, made his living by drawing, by running a zoo, and by illustrating thousands of plants and animals for British Columbia''s provincial museum.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less